Animation and Illustration [with Foundation Year]

Become a skilled and versatile animator with a focus on illustration and storytelling, and prepare for a rewarding creative career.

Explore a variety of animation and illustration methods and media, including puppet making and stop-motion animation, traditional 2D animation, digital 2D and 3D animation, character and graphic novel design.

With guidance and support from dedicated industry professionals, you’ll develop your technical skills and a personal language within animation.

You’ll learn the entire creative process from observational drawing and research to storyboarding to editing and sound design, so that you can best bring your characters and stories to life.


• Become a skilled and versatile 2D or 3D animator, focusing on illustration and storytelling



• Go on group drawing trips and visit museums, galleries and animation festivals



• Work in dedicated animation production studios with high-end 3D CGI, Cintiqs and rostrum equipment



• Attend lectures from top animation studios in London



• Graduate industry-ready with a professional portfolio, showreel or website



• Get full training on all our facilities, including our print studio and Futures Lab



Careers

As a student at ARU you’ll prepare for your future career by creating a showreel, website and promotional material.

You'll also take part in a final-year degree show, and attend guest talks from top animation studios such as Passion Pictures, The Mill, FrameStore and Studio Aka.

You’ll also get the opportunity to work on live briefs set by industry; we’ve worked with companies like 9 Trees, Provide CIC, Curveball Media, and even the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, creating an animated ident to promote their collaboration with Chelsea Flower Show.

This degree will prepare you for work in the creative industries a 2D/3D animator, motion graphics designer, or illustrator for a wide range of studios and publishers when you graduate.

Many of our graduates now work with leading animation studios and broadcasters such as The Mill, 12 Foot 6, Slurpy Studios, The Like Minded, Filofax, BBC and Channel 4, as well as developing freelance careers in animation and illustration.

Teaching

Year 2 is your chance to explore, learn, experiment, and find your unique style.

You’ll get straight into the studio, learning the principles of image creation, storytelling, different types of animation, film-making and production methods.

In years 3 and 4 you’ll develop your animation and drawing skills and style, and start thinking about your future career by taking part in live projects, creating a website, showreel or portfolio, and building your professional network.

Finally, you’ll showcase your abilities and skills as a creative producer with a major individual or group project.

At ARU, you’ll be supported from day one with wellbeing services, money advice and careers guidance to help you through university and beyond.

Their courses are built around the skills and experience employers value. ARU are proud to be in the top 20% of UK universities for teaching quality (TEF 2023), and ranked #1 in the East of England, and #8 in the UK, for UG graduates in senior roles 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025). You'll have access to fantastic facilities thanks to £95m of investment - think SuperLabs, TV studios, law courts, mock hospital wards, gaming studios and more.

Wherever you're heading, ARU will help you get there.